Volunteers build fences for buttercups on Discovery

Greater Victoria Green Team and BC Parks erect a fence around a red-listed plant species on Discovery Island.

A new split rail fence marks off a bounty of buttercups on Discovery Island.

Creating a boundary between visitors and the species at risk, California buttercup, was a joint effort with the Greater Victoria Green Team lending a hand to BC Parks.

“We connect with municipalities and farms and my job is to build up a volunteer base for projects,” explained Green Team program manager Amanda Evans. “I look for volunteers and connect them to projects that have been maybe on the back burner.”

In this case, it was delineating a protected zone on Discovery Island.

“A portion of the surveyed critical habitat occurred within an area we have designated for camping,” said Joe Benning, BC Parks area supervisor for South Gulf Islands. “The project was to erect a bit of a fence defining the area to keep people from camping in that area.”

“We will also be putting up some informational signage… so the public will have an understanding.”

BC Parks had the materials for several months, awaiting an opportunity to get it done, when the Green Team approached them seeking ways to volunteer.

“This project was a good fit, because it was quite labour intensive,” said Benning. “I was really happy with the outcome of that project and the organization of the Victoria Green Team.”

Green team volunteers helped lug 80 segments of split railing and concrete bases to the island.

“We hauled the material to Discovery and it took 10 of us eight hours to do,” said Evans. “We were able to help them with a project that they’ve been sitting on for about a year.”

The Greater Victoria Green Team, which started last September, does 60 to 70 work parties every year.

“Now BC Parks is interested in having us help on other projects, so that’s awesome,” Evans said.

“It’s great being able to utilize the support of volunteer groups,” Benning agreed. “It provides us with resources to get the jobs done.”

The two organizations, with 14 labourers, were able to finish the fence in one day.

“They donated their full day, it was a great response,” Evans said. “They’re all strangers who come together to devote their time to make such an impact.”